Construction and validation of a test for inductive reasoning

We present in this paper a test for inductive reasoning (TIR), which consists of two versions that can be used to assess the inductive reasoning development of third-grade pupils in primary education. The test versions can also be used in combination with a training program for inductive reasoning. Two experiments using samples of 954 and 145 pupils were carried out to investigate the psychometric properties of the tests, including validity. Item response theory (IRT) analyses revealed that the scores on the two TIR tests gave meaningful inductive reasoning summaries. This was supported by analyses of the convergent and divergent validity of the TIR tests. IRT analyses were used to equate the two TIR test versions such that the scores can be compared on a common scale. Possible explanations for the misfit of items that were deleted from the TIR tests are discussed.